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Chosun(1392
- 1910) was the longest-lived dynasty in Korean history. Some historians
attribute its longevity to its well-established governing philosophy
and system derived from Confucians. Unlike previous kingdoms, whose
governing basis was Buddhism, Chosun committed itself to Confucian
ethics, with the Old Sungkyunkwan serving as the center for the promotion
and dissemination of Confucianism. Virtually all Chosun kings and
important statesmen were educated as Confucians and were thus related
to the Old Sungkyunkwan in one way or another. As the highest national
education institute, the Old Sungkyunkwan was destined to share its
history with the country it served. The darkest period of the Old
Sungkyunkwan came with the loss of its sovereignty to Japan. The Old
Sungkyunkwan was degraded under the 35 year colonial rule. With the
liberation of Korea, however, the Old Sungkyunkwan embarked on a massive
project toward its restoration. To meet the diverse demands of a democratic
society, the system was reorganized into two separate bodies of jurisdiction:
the Old Sungkyunkwan and the University. Since then, the two institutions
have been developing separate paths in collaboration with each other.
The Old Sungkyunkwan has carried on its traditional functions, such
as observing the rites in memory of Confucius and his followers, while
the University is devoted exclusively to education and research as
a modern university. The rapid growth of the University called for
an expansion of its campus. The modern, 250-acre Natural Sciences
Campus, which opened in 1978, is home to half of the University's
community, including the newly opened College of Medicine. The Humanities
and Social Sciences Campus occupies the original site of the Old Sungkyunkwan
and is home to the other half of the University. The two campuses
are now viewed as a paragon of the campus system of larger comprehensive
universities in Korea.
Chosun(1392
- 1910) was the longest-lived dynasty in Korean history. Some historians
attribute its longevity to its well-established governing philosophy
and system derived from Confucians. Unlike previous kingdoms, whose
governing basis was Buddhism, Chosun committed itself to Confucian
ethics, with the Old Sungkyunkwan serving as the center for the promotion
and dissemination of Confucianism. Virtually all Chosun kings and
important statesmen were educated as Confucians and were thus related
to the Old Sungkyunkwan in one way or another. As the highest national
education institute, the Old Sungkyunkwan was destined to share its
history with the country it served. The darkest period of the Old
Sungkyunkwan came with the loss of its sovereignty to Japan. The Old
Sungkyunkwan was degraded under the 35 year colonial rule. With the
liberation of Korea, however, the Old Sungkyunkwan embarked on a massive
project toward its restoration. To meet the diverse demands of a democratic
society, the system was reorganized into two separate bodies of jurisdiction:
the Old Sungkyunkwan and the University. Since then, the two institutions
have been developing separate paths in collaboration with each other.
The Old Sungkyunkwan has carried on its traditional functions, such
as observing the rites in memory of Confucius and his followers, while
the University is devoted exclusively to education and research as
a modern university. The rapid growth of the University called for
an expansion of its campus. The modern, 250-acre Natural Sciences
Campus, which opened in 1978, is home to half of the University's
community, including the newly opened College of Medicine. The Humanities
and Social Sciences Campus occupies the original site of the Old Sungkyunkwan
and is home to the other half of the University. The two campuses
are now viewed as a paragon of the campus system of larger comprehensive
universities in Korea.